Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist; by far the most important of Hungarian composers and responsible, with Zoltán Kodály, for the awakening of the interest in Hungarian folk music. While being thus occupied Bartók never neglected his engagement with Western art music.

Initially his musical style was influenced by composers such as Brahms, R. Strauss, Debussy and Stravinsky. These influences gradually loosed their ground to the impact Hungarian, Slavonic and Romanian folk music began to exert on him, a consequence of his activities in the field of ethnomusicology. Notwithstanding these influences Bartók developed a distinctive personal style, a style to which the audience of his own days did not always respond, but which, towards the end this century, is met with more and more appreciation and admiration.

A selection from Bartók's vast output: Concerto for Orchestra, Dance Suite, Divertimento, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, 3 Piano Concertos, 2 Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, the opera Bluebeard's Castle, the pantomime The Miraculous Mandarin, the ballet The Wooden Prince, Chamber Music: 6 String Quartets, Contrasts (written for Benny Goodman), Piano Music: For Children, Mikrokosmos, Sonatas, Bagatelles, Folk Song transcriptions and many other pieces.